Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Bishkek on Monday, with the two leaders discussing ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation across a range of sectors. The meeting was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), which said discussions covered defence, economic ties, pharmaceuticals, science and technology, culture and education.

The MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global developments, including the situation in West Asia. Modi reiterated that India looked forward to working closely with Armenia to further deepen and expand bilateral ties.

The meeting builds on recent interactions between the two leaders. In June, Modi had congratulated Pashinyan and his party on their victory in Armenia’s parliamentary elections. Earlier, Modi had also thanked Pashinyan during a phone call for facilitating the evacuation of Indian nationals stranded in Iran amid developments in West Asia — a point of gratitude that was again expressed during Monday’s meeting.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and other officials were present during the talks, according to reports. Modi and Pashinyan were also said to have warmly greeted each other prior to the meeting.

Beyond the bilateral talks, Modi has been engaging with the local community in Bishkek. He paid tribute at the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial in the city, which he had unveiled during his visit to Kyrgyzstan in 2015, and later interacted with members of the Indian community and Kyrgyz nationals. The MEA described the interaction as a “warm and engaging” exchange on longstanding friendship and cooperation between India and the Kyrgyz Republic.

Modi arrived in Bishkek on Sunday for the 26th SCO Summit and the opening ceremony of the 6th World Nomad Games. He was received by Adylbek Kasymaliev, Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers. Later in the day, he is scheduled to meet Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin, and to address the SCO Summit.

The SCO, which is marking its 25th anniversary this year, brings together ten member states, 15 partner countries and two observer countries. India and Pakistan became full members in 2017, followed by Iran in 2023 and Belarus in 2024. In his departure statement before the visit, Modi said he would work with SCO members towards a region free from “terrorism, separatism and extremism”.

Before travelling to Kyrgyzstan, Modi was on a two-day state visit to Uzbekistan from August 29–30, during which the two countries elevated their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership and set a target of $5 billion in annual trade by 2030. During that visit, Modi met members of the Indian diaspora, academics, researchers and yoga enthusiasts in Tashkent, and his poems — including “Abhi Toh Suraj Uga Hai” — were recited in Hindi and Uzbek at an informal dinner hosted by Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.